Olimpia Milano Advances to the Super Cup Final; Peppe Poeta Is Only Partially Satisfied

Coach Peppe Poeta is enjoying the decisive victory in the Super Cup semifinal against Virtus Bologna: “I’m happy. Against a team that’s all about offense and plays fast-paced basketball, holding them to just 23 points in the first two quarters was a great result. Our defensive intensity dropped a bit in the second half, but I can’t help but be pleased. We’re obviously behind in some areas, but being able to control the game—even though we shot poorly from 3-point range—is very positive. Tomorrow we’ll face a completely different game. Another thing I’m happy about is that all 12 players contributed and had a good approach.”

On player rotation: ““We decided to sit Mathews out because it was a do-or-die game, and we didn’t want to put him in a tough spot for his debut. He needs a little time to settle in, even though we’re pleased with him. With Burnell playing behind Peters, we’re covered with the Italian players and, to some extent, with Booker and Diop.”

“It’s still very early,” the Biancorossi coach clarified. “This was a game on September 25, and I’m saying this after a win. We need time and to get to know each other better. We’ve changed the entire starting lineup; it’s a process. Today we took a small step forward; let’s take it one game at a time. We had a few too many turnovers, but this is a team that works very well together.”